Pages

Monday, May 2, 2016

Saving Camelot Part Four

A/N: So this part was close to 3,000 words originally. As I thought it was a little bit too big for a SINGLE blog post, I decided to split it up into multiple parts. So, the bad news is expect a cliffhanger of sorts. The good news is actually expect regular updates once a week on this story. ;)Please keep in mind this part is more of a branch to really set this story in motion, though we do get introduced to a few more important key figures in this story.For those of you who need some facts on the 1960s, it was of course a time of rampant racism and the height of the Civil Rights Movement. Lyndon B. Johnson, or LBJ for short, was Kennedy's Vice President while J. Edgar Hoover was the directer of the FBI.Facts aside, enjoy the story and be sure to comment at the end!

I
never thought going undercover as a secretary could be so, well, boring. All it has
been so far is answering the telephone, dictating for the president, screening visitors,
and organizing paperwork. You think I would discover some sort of lead behind
the president's killer by now but no, nothing has turned up so far.

Despite
the boring mundane nature of this undercover work so far, Victoria has had it worse
than me. Being African-American, she has to investigate this case while dealing
with the rampant racism that was still present in America during this era, or is STILL present in America during this era. Yet,
this has also assisted her in getting a seemingly menial job that just so
happens to make it very easy and convenient for her to eavesdrop. She is
supposed to be in the background, no one will ever suspect her of anything.

I
glance up at the clock as it chimes 5:00. Another day gone by, and we still are
somewhat haplessly searching for a lead to who is behind the Kennedy assassination.
I stand up, stretching, just when the door to the oval office opens.

"Mr.
President!" I say, snapping to attention. I will consent to one thing, he
has to be more handsome than all the photographs depict. Though he is just as much, if
not more of a womanizer than all the books in the 21st century say, which makes
me feel all the more sorry for Jackie.

"Relax,
Ms. Wilson," he tells me with a smile. "I just came to ask if you
would not mind staying to take notes on a meeting between my brother, Johnson,
Hoover, and myself".

I
blink once, this may be the breakthrough Victoria and I were waiting for. I have to hide my excitement as I answer the President. "Of course sir. I would be more than happy to stay".

"Great,"
he says with a small smile. "Go get yourself something to eat and be back
by 6:30".

"Yes,
sir," I say, heading off into the kitchen hoping to run into my sister on
the way. I find Victoria sitting in the servants’ dining room next to the kitchen,
sipping a hot cup of fragrant tea.

"Tory!"
I hiss. "The president has asked me to stay to take notes on a
meeting."

Her
eyes meet mine over the teacup, waiting for me to continue.

"The
meeting is between two people who probably hate the Kennedy brothers more than
the Russians".

"LBJ
and Hoover?" I can see that I now have finally caught Tory's interest.

"Yes."

Tory
sets her teacup down on her saucer with a clank. "You have to listen for subtext
Jaz. Listen and watch for body language. Follow those two men after the meeting
if you can. This may be the biggest chance we have to find a lead".

I
nod, time was ticking. It may be in fact the middle of July, 1963, but each and
every day that passed without a lead brought us closer to the fateful day in
November.

"I
will try to see if I can serve at the meeting. It would be good to have two
sets of ears at the meeting".

"Good
luck," I tell her, knowing it has not been easy for her so far. She has faced
nothing but grief from the white chief of household staff, all because she was
black. On top of everything, she still has not quite bought the fact that we
have really been thrown back in time as I have.

It
would all be easier if we actually remembered what had happened to us right
before we were thrown back in time. Apparently, according to Heath, the memory
loss is all just a side effect of time travel. I wanted to question how he
could possibly know this having been born in the past, but I decided that some
things are better left unsaid at this point.

I
nod, standing and heading for the kitchen. The black cook is an older women in
her mid-fifties. She has a kind, grandmotherly like demeanor about her, and
does not question Victoria and me frequently associating with each other.

"Hello,
Miss Jasmine," she greets me with a smile.

"Claudia,"
I greet her with a smile and nod in return. "Tell me, what does one have
to do to get a couple plates of your legendary chicken?"

Claudia
smiles. "That kind of flattery will get you a taste of my cooking anytime,
Miss Jasmine," she tells me with a smile, grabbing a couple of plates and
dishing up our food.

I
take the plates back to the servant's dining room with a smile, comforted by
the fact that there are still a few kind people in what has turned out to be a
harsh and cruel decade to be alive in.

3 comments:

Yes!!! It was actually required reading for one of my classes as we were coming up on the 50th anniversary of the assassination. I Loved the book though. It was written in such an interesting narrative. Thanks for commenting :)

About Me

I am a young Christian women passing my time working an awesome job at a bookstore (a writer's dream, I know) ! I posses a BA degree in history as of the spring of 2017. A particular favorite era of history for me is the American Civil War, as well as WW2; particularly the paratroopers which I have been fascinated with studying lately! I love to ride horses, especially an old paint horse named Pablo (though admittedly I don't get to ride nearly often enough anymore). I also like to read good books, binge watch Netflix, listen to music (Home Free in particular), and write stories. Three of the favorite genres I like to write are historical fiction, Christian romance, and suspense. I am also a huge fan of the Seattle Mariners, win or lose. I currently live at home with my parents as I work towards grad school, where I hope to get a certification as a History and English teacher! God has great plans for me in 2018 and beyond, and I am excited to take you all on this journey I am on!